Technology

Maximize the Use of GPS Tracking Systems

GPS can control your fleet by tracking every vehicle at all times. With notification features, you can instruct your vehicles to contact you in a variety of ways such as via cell phone, email, or both. You can instruct it to call others as well or even split the duty by time of day. These notifications can include ignition times, speed limit violations, or departures from a specific geographic area known as a “geo fence.”

With such detailed information, you should develop policies dealing with infractions such as speeding. Determine a consistent action policy that uses the GPS tracking system to employ only safe chauffeurs. While most insurance companies prohibit or discourage fleet vehicles from being taken home, in some cases it’s needed. Now, at any given moment, you can see on a map where your vehicle is parked and what time the ignition was turned off. Because you are liable for the vehicle at all times, this feature can give you peace of mind about where the vehicle is parked. You also can set a notification to alert you by phone when the vehicle is started.

If your vehicle is stolen, the tracking system becomes an invaluable tool for the police to reach your vehicle before significant damage is done. Just make sure it is really stolen before you call the police, as stopped stolen vehicles are treated as felonies and your chauffeur could end up prone on the ground if you fail to confirm his ID. Tell your insurance company about your GPS system to qualify for reduced premiums.

PAYROLL AND MONEY MATTERS

Operators often have used other methods to track payroll calculations and client billing. Airport trips are mostly paid on a flat, predetermined number of hours based on the average time of the trip instead of clock hours. Most limousine companies do not use time clocks, as many trips begin from a location other than the office such as the last drop-off location.

Your GPS system is your new time clock. It is more efficient than any wall model. As soon as the key is turned on or the gear is put in drive, the payroll clock begins. You can now review a history of vehicle trips. Personal errands or stops can easily be deducted using breadcrumbs,” or a tracking of the route the vehicle has traveled and when it arrived at its intended destination.

Likewise, you can precisely bill your clients. Sometimes a client will enter the vehicle immediately, although the vehicle arrived 15 minutes early. In the past, that was considered a bonus as a three-hour charter becomes a three-and-a-quarter-hour ride. Multiplied by four trips a day, you are giving away an hour a day of your service but probably were unaware of it. Your GPS tracking system can eliminate billing discrepancies with certain proof of vehicle service times.

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